Dolmades Recipe - Wild Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves
Dolmades come from the Turkish word, dolma, which means “something stuffed”. In Greek cuisine, many vegetables are stuffed and there are endless variations of stuffings. Perhaps the best-known dolmades are the stuffed grape leaves. Here is a typical meatless variety that is often served cold or as a warm appetizer or side dish. Pine nuts and currants give this a Middle Eastern flavor.
Ingredients
2 8 oz jars grape leaves
4 cups of water
3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain wild rice
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup currants
2 teaspoons of each – fresh dill, mint, and parsley
Pinch of dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon for drizzling
1 1/2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
3 tablespoons olive oil
How to Make Dolmades
First, prepare Grape Leaves by rinsing thoroughly under cold water to remove the brine in a medium saucepan bring water to a boil reduce heat to medium and carefully add leaves to hot water. Hard boil 5 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander while preparing filling. In a medium skillet, heat oil or butter, add onions and saute until tender about 5 minutes. Add garlic rice lemon juice pine nuts currants fresh herbs and Seasonings cook 3 minutes. Cool mixture.. Turn or very large thick leaves can be used to line the bottom of a 3-quart dutch oven.
Stack grape leaves on a clean work surface, shiny side down. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears remove steps.
Place a heaping teaspoon of mixture in the center of the leaf. Tux in the sides then roll up from the bottom fairly tightly, tucking in any uneven sides. Should look very much like a fat cigar. Repeat this process until all filling has been used. Arrange stuffed grape leaves in the Dutch oven that is lined with grape leaves seam side down, tightly pack, side-by-side to form the first layer. Drizzle lemon juice over the entire layer. Start the second layer, drizzle lemon juice over this layer and repeat until all filled dolmades are in the pot.
Combine stock and remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil pour over the grape leaves the liquid should come up to the top layer. Drizzle again with a little lemon juice. Cover with an inverted heat-proof dish to keep the dolmades from unwrapping. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 1 hour or until rice is cooked and grape leaves are tender. Taste one dolmada to determine if leaves are tender and rice is cooked. If necessary continue cooking up to another 20 minutes making sure there is still liquid in the bottom of the pot. Cool dolmades in the liquid and enjoy.
